derry

It looks that way.

I was talking today to an old friend that works for Saints. I told him some of the rumours that abound on here and his comment was "bull**** it's a done deal, everything is agreed just awaiting signature." He is pretty reliable so I'm trusting the information is correct.

I might be wrong but I thought I saw somewhere that it has been listed.

An Irishman at the Rockingham Arms??

Both Puel and Pellegrino were pathetic managers. Both had misinterpreted what football was about. Guardiola coached teams to pass sideways and backwards with however multiple goalscorers, maximum width and searing pace. Trying to pass the ball around 600 times a match with one forward and a collection of non scoring players lacking pace was stupidity that paid at least a couple of million a year. Both Puel and Pellegrino should have ****ed out of the place by the end of August. The way we played from the start of both seasons was rubbish and resulted in 46 and 36 points. I went to the Swansea game expecting exciting, pressing attacking football, what I got was backwards and sideways obsessive safety first possession rubbish. After the previous dross as far as I was concerned Pellegrino was more of the same. That it took 29 more matches to sack the **** reflects badly on the knowledge of the management because we were going down from August playing the stupidity we were playing. Paying £19.2m for Carillo on his recommendation when all the news coming out of Monaco was that they couldn't give him away pretty much shows his stupidity and worse the stupidity of Reed, Ross and Krueger.

I've been impressed by the way Mark Hughes has come in and picked us off the floor. Make no mistake without the change we were sleepwalking to relegation. His fixture list was a nightmare and everybody has said we really could only expect to get the points we needed from four games. Newcastle and WHU were aberrations, Arsenal and Chelsea were decent performances exposing our naivety and and lack of defensive concentration. Since then there has been match by match an improvement and if Bertrand had found row Z against Everton in the 96th minute we would have won three and drawn one of the four, however eight points including winning at Swansea has put us in a good position. I'd like to think we are developing a degree of cynicism and professionalism to close out games. I watched his three interviews yesterday and he impressed the hell out of me with his common sense and focus on getting the job done. With Bertrand's comments on SSN about the situation at the club and his praise for Hughes, together with him picking up a basket case, his complimentary remarks about the club and how they had been caught out and maybe that was a necessary wake up call. the need to appoint someone quickly to sort the staff situation although the bulk of the squad were good and a few in and out was required. I think he is ideal for us and a breath of fresh air.

Targett looks good on the ball but was nowhere near competitive enough last night and never got off the ground for Derby's goal facing the wrong way. As for Bertrand it looks like nobody has seen his interview on SSN on Thursday afternoon. He was very complimentary on Mark Hughes and how well it is all going and how Hughes has done terrifically well picking everybody up and making all the players gel. He then went on to talk about the job not done yet but once it was done we need to prepare and he is really looking forward to next season here. I know if big offers come in he could have his head turned, but it looks like he has a successful IT company and has already suffered from not getting enough games at a big club. He sounded very grounded and I suspect he values being first choice over anything and the club have learnt a serious lesson and he seems to expect us back up the league next season provided we stay up.

Whatever anybody thinks about Boufal, and I think he is a prat of a snowflake, he scored an unlikely, brilliant individual goal running at least seventy yards unassisted and finished clinically worth two points against relegation rivals. There is also a good argument for Gabbiadini's goal against Swansea being the most important of the season, without it we were probably going down. Personally I'd give it to Gabbiadini.

Well said. He deserves a permanent contract. Besides after two years of watching sideways and backwards crap I was going to jack the ST in. Not now, this is more like it.

A really professional performance. Nice to see a more professional game management at the end. Putting the ball in row Z is sometimes the smart play. Play down the lines and keep the opponents having to put the ball out of play. Gabbiadini, Long and Austin at the end gave Swansea problems, us an outlet and more aerial power. It's nice to have a British manager again who believes in effort and fitness. In none of the last four games have we had more possession but are unbeaten with two and nearly three wins. Puel and Pellegrino were obsessed with possession which only works if there is pace and a cutting edge throughout the team. For most team it results in few goals and an inability to beat good teams. The football is more enjoyable with Hughes and he needs to be given the job.

I was gobsmacked by that. He should have been looking to get into the corner and play it off the defender if possible for a corner. Putting it out like that shows he has learned nothing from his naïve stupidity against Chelsea. Even when I played forty odd years ago I would have been trying to sucker the defender and in Bertrand's case put the ball out of play as far away as possible. I once got booked in the last minute for kicking it out of the ground from a couple of yards inside the touchline. Ungentlemanly conduct he said, did I care, the game was over by the time they got the ball replaced. I was an amateur these are international professionals, I despair. Chelsea yesterday hanging on at the end similar position the ball ended up in the back of the stand, Conte signalled a substitution, (we didn't have one) and it took a minute and fifteen seconds to restart. It would have taken twenty seconds to take the throw and everybody marked up. Whilst on the subject of intelligent defending, Yoshida dives in far too often stupidly and late in positions that don't warrant that sort of challenge and gives away free kicks. Closing down tight without contact is a far better option. His innocuous foul that led to Alonso's free kick winner for Chelsea away. He's another international FFS. Benali said you have to judge how dangerous the position is before diving in, not just dive in every time.

Like Hojbjerg before Chelsea's first goal Redmond had the ball but jumped in frustration and left the ball free. He should have picked it up and put it in the corner. Therefore he allowed the free kick to be taken rather than pushing it back and delaying it. Bertrand should have hit the ball into row Z. By the time it gets thrown in the defence is formed up and the game is over. It's what the top sides do. We need to educate the players.

I wasn't at the match because of knee surgery. I did however have the benefit of the TV, live match, MOTD, Goals on sunday and the Monday review and I can categorically assure you the foul (if there was one) occurred on or before the halfway line. The advantage was over ten yards until Hojbjerg won the ball. The free kick was passed to the right from where Hojbjerg left the ball. Dean called that back and Fabregas took the ball another two yards forward before passing. Players should be aware, if the other side is readily prepared to grab an advantage it's down to our players to counter that. Hojbjerg should have intervened and if he had, that goal would not have occurred as it did as the circumstances would have been changed. It's not cynical it's common sense.

Apart from the arrogant, ridiculous Mike Dean's decision after the free kick was taken from the wrong place, called it back, pointed behind Fabregas who then took it two yards nearer the goal instead. The usually pedantic Dean should have insisted, taken the ball back again and placed it on the spot where he thought Hazard was fouled on the halfway line rather than yards in front of where the advantage was stopped. However, one Saints player could have stopped that goal happening. He switched off, showed a pathetic lack of awareness and competitive attitude. Hojbjerg took the ball off Hazard then was penalised but unchallenged he had the ball at his feet. He turned it over to Fabregas and backed off. At the very least, remembering his previous yellow he should have rolled the ball back to the halfway line where Dean was pointing. He could have picked it up and handed it to the referee. His lack of awareness was ridiculous for an international player. I have no doubt if the boot was on the other foot Chelsea would not have allowed us to take that free kick. If Hojbjerg had even stood over the ball and not backed off the free kick would have been moved back ten yards and I have no doubt in my mind the circumstances that led to the cross would not have occurred.

The reason the two central midfielders were under pressure was not the formation. Firstly up front Gabbiadini was absent without trace and we were much better there with Long putting in the effort. the two wide men were again absent without trace, They were the real problem because when the opponents have the ball they have to tuck in and reinforce the middle two. If the play is wide the wide man has to block the space in front of the full back and the other wide man tuck in as the middle two slide over. We didn't do that. Sims needs to be put in as one of the wide men giving us more pace and physicality. If they thought they were going to stroll their way to safety they have been well and truly disabused of that thought. The second half was much better. Soares is a liability, Stephens is poor in the air so bring in Yoshida and give Stephens a go at right back. Hoedt was poor for the third goal but was much better in the second half. Lamina was poor in the first half but looked a good player in the second. Hojbjerg was ok in the second half but not convincing enough today to keep Romeu on the bench. Austin tried hard and gets a free pass from me as this was his first game in three months. what the hell were we doing paying nearly £20m for Carillo he was unconvincing and is no physical presence.

What a nonsense. Go for the first game and take it from there. You don't get to pick and choose or even predict how you end up playing in any game.

Soares, Hojbjerg and Lamina poor in the first half. Credit to Hughes, good half time, these three had better second halves. Hojbjerg and Lamina still gave the ball away too much. The team were more direct, much less possession. The penalty miss was criminal, Gabbiadini looked like a rabbit in the headlights. His miss from the back pass looked like a player unprepared to receive the ball. Carillo didn't look that good against a Div one team. Long gave us more and won more.

Soares having a mare. Hojbjerg and Lamina poor

outclassed 0-4

We have got rid of a fearful, negative timid manager who didn't have a clue because his book said 'possession' is the be all and end all. It's not about one or two strikers, it is about playing on the front foot, aggressively with pace. The backwards and sideways passers need ditching. It is about runners and support. Sims not JWP, Tadic on his correct side, Boufal maybe. Carillo, Gabbiadini, and Austin. Long as an aggressive front man. Hojbjerg, Romeu and Lamina playing aggressively. NO MORE ****ING BACKWARDS POSSESSION. If Hughes gets at the players, sets the standards and lays down the law by lifting the players out of their stupor and going for it. We might even get a double, adding a cup.

I was going to start a new thread on this subject but this says it all, after seeing on Sky TV and BBC South that SFC management weren't going to make any comment. Reed and Kreuger MIA yet again. When I think back to the numerous times those idiots have pushed their glossy agenda with fatuous interviews, making meaningless comments full of buzz, it made me cringe. Always ready to duck when the bullets are flying, they need to man up and talk to the supporters not hide behind the PR.

Goodbye.

Where do I stand? I'll tell you where I stand, I've looked again at the Reed pre-signing publicity, Pellegrino would bring "exciting, attacking football, taking the game to our opponents by playing a high intensity game. After the sterile way Puel played that was the change I wanted. What I got on day 1 to day 263 was a sterile, timid mess. If it had been a new car it wouldn't have got out of the showroom. It didn't even remotely deliver what was on the box. It showed up in spades on day one and shuffled the pack every match with the same one striker five slow midfielder template. He should have been taken to one side on day one and told to produce the promise in the next match or prepare to pack his bags. If we got more of the same he should have been sacked. This present nonsense wouldn't have arisen. By the end of the season, Reed, Krueger and anybody else part of that debacle should pay the price.

Quite how they are going to manage the second half momentum without playing the same players who he won't start is beyond me. It's playing one striker and two or three pedestrians behind him is the problem. Solution, two strikers plus pace and pass the ****ing ball forwards.